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Drona, the valiant archer, was second only to Bheeshma among the respected elders of the Mahabharata.
Drona had studied together with Drupada, who later became the king of Panchala, in the ashram of Agnivesha. When he was unable to buy a glass of milk for his beloved son, he turned to his friend for help. But when Drupada humiliated him, he went to Hastinapura and became the teacher of military science to the Pandavas and Kauravas, believing that Arjuna alone, amongst all the Kuru princes, could avenge his shame.
He bestowed special attention on Arjuna, and, succumbing to his own motives of personal vendetta, he even demanded the thumb of Ekalavya, the great archer, despite the cruelty of this dastardly act.

The Mughal Empire founded in the early 16th century began to disintegrate towards the later years of the 17th century. Two people who hastened its end were shivaji along with his Marathas in the Deccan and Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikhs in northern India.

Guru Gobind Singh's short career was not marked by any spectacular achievement on the battlefield. His chief contribution was to convert a pacifist, passive and fatalist community of Punjabi Sikhs into a militant, aggressive and determined brotherhood of the Khalsa. He gave sikhism its five sacred symbols, including the unshorn hair and beard, which made the Sikh members of the one casteless family - the Singhs. He was the chief proponent of the Dharmayuddha philosophy - war for the sake of righteousness - to which he committed his four sons and his following. Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus and one of the greatest poets of the Punjabi language. The Qualities that distinguish the Sikhs of today can be traced back to the tradition started by Guru Gobind Singh

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India is a land of countless legends and stories. Some of them have survived the onslaught of time and remained alive over the centuries. One such story is that of Harischandra, the king famously known for his unmatched honesty.

The stor as it came down to us has many variations from the original narration in the Markandeya Purana. Folk singers, dramatists and poets who handled this story have added several incidents and characters to it – for greater effect. It is worth mentioning that Gandhiji who wrote the famous My experiments with Truth was greatly inspired by a dramatic representation of this story, which he had seen in his boyhood.

This story tells us of a king, who encounters forces immensely more powerful than him with an unflinching faith in integrity.

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) is considered to be one of the greatest writers of Bengali literature. He wrote Kapala Kundala, his second novel, when he was only 28 years old.

It is said that when Bankim Chandra lived in Kanthi, on the coast of southwest Bengal, a kapalik (a Tantric worshipper of Kali or Shiva) frequently visited him. The mystery surrounding the kapalik made a deep impression on Bankim. He conceived the idea of writing a novel about a girl brought up by a kapalik in complete isolation from the civilised world.

The name Kapala Kundala has been taken from the Sanskrit play, Malati-Madhva. In the play, Kapala is the associate of the evil kapalik, Aghora Ghanta, and she is as heinous as her mentor. But although our heroine in Kapala Kundala was also brought up by an evil kapalik, she is full human affection and kindness.

The story of shakuntala originally appeared in the first book of the Mahabharata where the lineage of the chief characters is detailed. It was later adapted with minor changes into a play by kalidasa, the great Sanskrit poet and dramatist.

Shakuntala was the daughter of Sage Vishvamitra and Menaka, a celestail maiden. When shakuntala was born, Menaka abandoned her near Sage Kanva's hermitage where he found her and made her his foster daughter. One day King Dushyanta of Hastinapura met her while he was hunting in the forest. Enamoured by her beauty, he married her and returned to his palace, promising to send for her at the soonest. Later, Shakuntala went to his court,Dushyanta did not recognise her, owing to a curse placed on her by sage Durvasa.

In the end, however, the truth of her claims was proved, and Shakuntala and Dushyanta were reunited. Their son Bharat, a direct ancestor of the Pandava and Kaurava princes, is the one who gave our country its name - 'Bharat' .

King Shalivahana is credited with the introduction of a new era named after him, and referred to as the Shalivahana Shaka. It was initiated to commemorate his magnificent victory over Vikaramditya of ujjaini in 78 ad. Even today, Hindu use the Shalivahana Shaka to record births, marriages and other auspicious events.

The Vikrama Charita, a Sanskrit classic composed in the 11th century, supports this view. Apart from this work and few popular legends, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. Brought up as a potter, the brave and good shalivahana was destined to become a great king, and this prophecy was well fulfilled.

History records that Gautami’s son Shatakarni of the shatavahana dynasty, defeated the powerful King Nahapana of the Satraps. The folklore of Maharashra identifies the same Shatakarni with Shalivahana.

The content for this Amar Chitra Katha title is derived from the Sanskrit classic Kathasaritsagara and Virama Charita, as well as from popular folk tales on this legendary hero.

Soordas, the blind bard of Brij occupies a very eminent position in Hindi literature. He is considered the Valmiki of Brij (a dialect of Hindi), not only because he was the first poet to write in that dialect, but also because hes works have an epic stature.

Soordas was not only the poet, but also a great composer. His songs were so popular that he became a legend in his lifetime.If Brij is understood today from Rajasthan and Punjab in the West to Assam in the East, it is mainly due to Soordas songs. Many of these songs are even included in the Granth Sahab, the holy book of the Sikhs - a testimony to their popularity.

Though he is credited with the composition of 25 works, he probably wrote only seven. Of these, Soor-Sagar has a place fo pride, followed by Soor-Saravali and Sahitya Lahari. According to legend, Soor-Sagar consisted of a hundred thousand songs, though today only a few thousand of these are known and sung.

Soordas was a follower of the Pushti cult, founded by Vallabhacharya which considered Krishna as the supreme incarnation of God who could only be attained only through His grace. Like many other Vaishnavaite cults, the Pushtis also believed that all those who worship God belong to the same brotherhood, irrespective of their caste. Adoration for Krishna, Yashoda's and gopis'(the cowherd girls) The intense love of Radha for him, and the alliance of the latter with the gopis formed the theme of most of his songs.

Vali, Sugreeva and Hanuman have key roles in Valmiki's famous epic, Ramayana. They were the offspring of indra, king of the devas, Surya, the sun-god, and Pavana, the wind-god respectively, taking birth in the mokey tribe to help Vishnu when he was manifest on earth as Rama to destroy the evil Ravana.

Vali became the king of Kishkindha. He loved sugreeva, his brother. But a misunderstanding separated them and they became sworn enemies. Banished from Kishkindha, Sugreeva went to the Rishyamuka Mountains and lived in hiding there. One day, Rama came there in search of Sita, his wife, who had been carried away by Ravana. The events that followed are interestingly retold in our book.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in a critical period of Indian history. On the one hand, people were divided into castes, sects and factions; on the other, the Muslim rulers committed atrocities on the Hindus and the weaker sections of society. The masses in their hardships and miseries cried for saviour. Nanak came as God’s messenger in the common man’s hour of dire need.

It was a period of transition from medievalism to modernism. Men of action and thought explored the world of matter and spirit. Guru Nanak revealed the secret of man’s spiritual potential. Similarly, he accepted life’s struggles and hardships and pioneereda movement of reform in social and religious conduct. He reformed the dregs of society through argument, conviction and personal example. His followers, called ‘sikhs’ formed a group of God-fearing men and women devoted to the service of the people. He laid down simple rules of conduct through which man could lead a humane and meaningful life and find his own fulfillment. Hindus and Muslims revered him alike. His life is an inspiring example of the practice of truth, love and humility.

Script approved by Shiromani Gurudwara committee, Amritsar

Yudhishthira, the eldest of the five Pandava Prines, was born to Kunti by the grace of Yama. His actions were free form passion and prejudice. He come to be considered the very embodiment of Dharma and was respectfully referred to as Dharmaraja.

Yama, the awe-inpiring God of death, is also revered as the Lord of Justice. According to Hindu belief, all living beings reap the fruit of their actions after death. Yama administers justice to all the beings brought before him. Since he metes out justice strictly according to Dharma,he is called Yamadharma. Who else could test Yudhishthira but Yamadharma? Yudhishthira emerged from the ordeals a stronger soul.

According to Indian tradition and belief, Rama was the ideal king and his kingdom of ‘Rama Rajya’ represents the ideal state of governance.kalidasa, in his poem entitled ‘Raghuvamsa’ inspired by Valmiki’s Ramayana, traced the ancestry of Rama, chronicling the dynasty of the lkshwakus. Gandhiji was only reinforcing this firm belief when he named his ideal state ‘Rama Rajya’. Yet the predecessors of Rama, in his dynasty of the lkshwakus, were as valiant and as benign as Rama himself. This story tells of their deeds.

The heroes of epics have their tragic flaws because epics always tell the whole truth. Like Rama, his ancestors also had natural flaws in their characters, which do not diminish the glory of their personalities.

It is interesting to note that the Puranas trace the genealogy of Rama to the Sun or Surya. Some of the illustrious ancestors listed in the genealogy are Manu, lkshwaku, Harischandra, Rohita, Sagara, Bhagiratha, Ambarisha and Rituparna. Brihadbala, who fought in the Mahabharata war, is said to be a descendant of Rama.

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the world of Bengali literature. One of his most popular novels Ananda Math, considered to be a milestone in the history of modern fiction in India, reeived such wide acclaim in the late 19th century that he came to be referred to as the walter scott of India. Translations of this story appeared in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Urdu. This vividly described story depicts the struggle for freedom in 1773 Bengal.

The British stronghold had gripped Bengal. The rural population starved and suffered, struggling to meet the taxes imposed upon thim by thie\eur rulers poverty stricken villages were left in a state of near abandon. In the face of all this misery, one young man named Satyananda yearned for truth, justice and freedom, and left his home to fight for his motherland. Soon, many others followed suit, and this band of patriotic youngsters came to be know as santaans (children).

The novel Ananda Math played an important role in fostering militant nationalism in Bengal I the early 20th century. Emulating the santaans, many young men gave up their homes and families to join secret societies that worked towards freeing India.

The songs Vande Mataram, which Bankim Chandra first wrote in this novel, echoed through the Indian freedom movement, inspiring patriotism and resolve. It was heard on the lips of many as they braved the lathis of the British police.

History chronicles innumerable kings who were brave conquerors and valiant soldiers. But Ashoka stands above them all as the only one who, at the zenith of his rule saw the futility of violence and, with great courage, renounced it.

H.G. Wells, in his Short History of the World, says that Ashoka’s “reign for eight and twenty years was one of the brightest interludes in the troubled history of mankind”. Wells goes on to say, “Such was Ashoka, the greatest of kings. He was far in advance of his age”.

This volume is based on the original research of the author into the Mahavamsa, the Dipavamsa (the commentary on the Mahavamsa) and the edicts of Ashoka. Pali manuscript and other secondary sources have also been extensively studied in gleaning facts that will kindle new interest in the great Emperor Ashoka.

Balarama, Krishna’s elder brother, shared all the antics, adventures and deeds of glory of

Hanuman the son of Anjana and the Wind God. Pavana or Vayu, was born a monkey. Yet, he occupies a prominent place among the Hindu gods for his sterling character. Hanuman is renowned for his strength and valour besides his steadfast love and loyalty to Lord Rama. He is the embodiment of devotion and power. Hanuman’s unflinching devotion to Rama has made him one of the greatest bhaktas (devotees) ever known. In fact, Hanuman is often referred to as Ramabhakta Hanuman. His singular worship of rama made him compassionate. It helped him leap across 800 miles of ocean to Lanka and console Sita who was pining for Rama, forlorn and lonely in Ravana’s Ashoka Garden.

Hanuman was the chief general of the monkey king, Sugreeva. The story of his adventures, particularly after the monkey army reaches the seashore opposite Lanka, is one of the best efforts of pure imagination to be found in the Ramayana. Years later, this virtue also helped Hanuman submit himself to the buoyant valour of Rama’s children, Luv and Kush. Serious but never solemn, Hanuman ever taunted his half-brother Bheema, the Pandava prince, who was out on a quest for the flower Kalyanasaugandhika. This incident, in fact is one of the most charming and popular episodes in the Mahabharata.

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Draupadi sprang full-grown from the fire, but no other heroine in Hindu mythology was earthier than she.

Her birth, sought by King Drupada, presaged a purpose. Her steely will, which often gleamed through her hapless married life, was shaped by the power and plenty she knew as the beloved daughter of the wealthy king of Panchala. Draupadi was the complete woman, complex yet feminine, and her fiery personality lent a glow to everything that she did.

It was Arjuna who won her hand at her swayamvara, but she was to be the wife of all the five Pandava brothers. Her success as a devoted wife was notable enough to bring Satyabhama seeking her counsel on marital happiness.

When dragged into the assembly of gaming men at Hastinapura, her query on jurisprudence left the grave elders speechless. As a dutiful wife, she followed her husbands into exile and kept house for them in the forest. An intelligent woman, she often plied Yudhishthira with questions on morality. When Subhadra came as Arjuna’s second wife, Draupadi was jealous, but she controlled her emotions under her regal bearing. Later, although she knew that Keechaka was dead, her wrath would not be quelled until she saw that his corpse was well on its way to be burnt.

This is a story of Chinese monk named Fa Hien, who undertook a painfully long and arduous journey to India 1600 years ago in pursuit of knowledge-to seek the true teachings of Buddha. It is the story of a man of immense courage, sincerity and faith.

After coming to India in 399 AD During the Gupta rule, Fa Hien toured the country extensively and recorded his observations. His accounts mention the Indian socio-economic and political aspects only marginally, but are objective and authentic. Fa Hien’s records, therefore, form an important source of Indian history during the fifth century.

Garuda is a divine, mythical bird that has been greatly venerated in India through the ages. His father, Sage Kashyap was the progenitor of the devas and asuras, and his mother Vinata was the daughter of Daksha.

Many indologists hold that this deity is of Dravidian origin. A stone flag-post, often covered with a metal plate with an image of Garuda on top, is invariably erected in front of the image of the presiding deity, Lord Vishnu, in all Vaishnavaite tempes, as Garuda is considered to be one of the greatest devotees of Vishnu. During the Gupta age, which is referred to as the golden era of Indian history, the Imperial standard had an image of Garuda cast upon it. Garuda is represented as a large white-necked eagle, but his image in temples depicts him with a human trunk.

Serpents are the natural food of the eagle. The reason for this enmity is traced in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata to the jealousy between Kadru and Vinata, the mother of the serpents and of Garuda respectively, and the two rival wives of Sage Kashyap. Only Vishnu could have these two born enemies – Garuda, the mighty eagle, and Shesha, the great serpent – wait upon him together. He uses Shesha as his couch and Garuda as his mount.

All living creatures die to be born again, so the Hindus believe. Siddhartha, who became the Buddha, was no exception. It is believed that several lifetimes as a bodhisattva go into the making of Buddha, the Enlightened One. The Bodhisattva is one, who by performing virtuous, kind and intelligent acts, aspires to become a Buddha. The Bodhisattva came in many forms – man, monkey, deer, elephant, lion. Whatever his mortal body, he spreads the message of justice and wisdom, tempered with compassion.

This wisdom, the wisdom of right thinking and right living, is preserved in the Jataka stories the Jataka tales, on which the present title is based, is a collection of 550 stories included in the pali canon. These are based on folklore, legends and ballads of ancient India. We cannot assign definite date to the Jataka stories. Taking into account archaeological and literary evidence, it seems likely that they were compiled in the period between 3rd century BC and 5t century AD. The Jataka tales provide invaluable information about ancient India civilization, culture and philosophy.

The stories in this Amar Chitra Katha re retold from the Mahabharata, which is an Indian epic that has had a profound influence on the culture and philosophy of people over the ages. Besides the main story of the feud between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, there are many smaller tales found in the epic, which reflect the value systems prevalent in that age.

Atithideva bhava, or “may your guest be a god to you”, is an essential value mentioned in one of the Upanishads. The three stories in this book bear testimony to the extent of importance placed on hospitality as one’s primary dharma or duty.

‘The Golden Mangoose’ tells a story of ultimate sacrifice, where a Brahmin family risks starvation and death to fulfill the hunger of a guest. ‘The Enlightened Butcher’ speaks of duty and virtue, and the inseparable link between the two in one’s quest for truth. ‘The Pigeon’s Sacrifice’ is a simple story of hospitality as one’s foremost duty, beyond all else.

Kalidasa, the greatest poet of classical Sanskrit, is known only through his writings. His works tell us that he was probably a Brahmin and devotee of Shiva. Apart from this there are no clues to his personal life. Even the names of parents are not known, nor his place of birth. The mystery surrounding him has given rise to incredible legends about him, which are circulated even today.

Our script is based on one of these legends.

Kalidasa is the author of several great Sanstrit poetic works (or Mahakavyas) and plays for which he is famous. Malavikagnimitram, Ritusamhara, Abhijnana-Shakuntalam, Meghaduta and Raghuvamsha are some of his most brillaian works. These reveal that Kalidasa was a lover of nature and his descriptions suggest that he traveled widely. His poetry has the freshness and beauty of a mountain stream. He portrays women with tenderness. He exhibits a special love for the town of Ujjayini in his writings and he probably knew it well.

Scholars have agreed that though all of kalidasa’s works are brilliant, his play Abhijanana-Shakuntalam must be rated as his greatest work. Today, Kalidasa is regarded as one of the immortals in the world of Literature, taking his place beside Shakespeare and Goethe.

The sixth century BC was a watershed period in the history of India. The north of India then was politically fragmented, with a number of kingdoms and perhaps a few republics. It was Bimbisara, the Emperor of Magadha, who for the first time brought these kingdoms together under the rule of a single authority. This was further consolidated by his son and successor, Ajatashatru.

This account of their life and times has been reconstructed form references, sometimes divergent, form Buddhist and Jain Literature. Both the sources claim the tow kings as adherents of their respective faiths.